Piano-action flange.



G. J. BEIBR. PIANO ACTION FLANGE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1912.

1,120,890, Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

GEORGE J. BEIER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PIANO-ACTION FLANGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

Application filed July 19, 1912. Serial No. 710,334.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. BEIER, a

citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Piano-Action Flanges, of which the following is a specification.

My invention contemplates a novel and effective form of piano action flange, the object being to provide a flange of such character that it may be readily removed and replaced, or adjusted to properly position the action, and of such form or shape that it may be composed of a single piece of metal bent or doubled upon itself to provide a pair of spring jaws for engaging and holding the pivot of the piano action.

To these and other useful ends, my invention consist-s in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a front elevation of a portion of the piano action, showing the same mounted upon flanges embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on linev 22 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section on line 3-3 in Fig. 2. Fig. l is a perspective of one of the flanges shown in Fig. 1.

As thus illustrated, and referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen that a piano action flange embodying the principles of my invention, comprises a pair of upwardly extending spring jaws A and B, the said jaw B having its face provided with a horizontal groove 6, and the two aws being yieldingly joined at their lower ends by the bent or doubled portions a, these bent or doubled portions being provided at the rear of the flange with vertical ribs 22 In this way the flange, when turned upside down, is substantially U-shaped in character, there being a substantial space between the bent or doubled portions a, which space provides a vertical slot for the fastening screw C by which the flange is secured to the flange rail D, or any other suitable support. It will be observed that the jaws A and B are of less width than the lower portion of the flange, whereby shoulders a are provided at opposite sides of the jaws. The head of the screw C is broad enough to bear upon the upper portions of the bent or doubled portions a, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3, whereby the two jaws are clamped tight together in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 4; but when the screw is loosened the spring tension of the portions a serves to separate the two jaws, thus making it possible to open the flange by simply turning the said screw.

The hammer butt E is provided with the usual pivot or pin 6 which is received between the jaws A and B, and which rotates in the groove 6 during the operation of the action. To raise and lower the flanges, to bring the hammers thereof into the proper positions, all that is necessary is to simply loosen the screws C and then move the flanges up or down until the correct adjustment is obtained. In this connection it will be seen that the ribs 6 engage vertical grooves (Z in the face of the flange rail B, which latter is a bar or strip of wood, of the usual or any suitable form, extending from one side to the other of the piano. These grooves (Z cooperate with the ribs (Z to maintain the flanges in vertical position.

Thus it will be seen that by my invention I provide a simple and easily adjustable piano action flange consisting of but a single piece of metal bent or doubled into the desired shape. The said flange can be made of any suitable metal, such as brass, and the spring or tension of the metal is preferably such that the two jaws of the flange are normally separated. Hence, as stated, it is only necessary to loosen the screw in order to separate the two jaws when it is desired to remove the action.

hat I claim as my invention is:

1. A piano action including a flange, comprising a pair of jaws, a pivot clamped in place by said jaws, a spring connection between said jaws, at one end thereof, a device for pressing the clamping ends of the jaws together, in opposition to the spring of said connection, disposed between said connection and the said clamping ends of said jaws, and a support engaged by said device, from which the flange is removable without removal of said device.

2. A piano action including a flange comprising a pair of jaws, a supporting element clamped in place by said jaws, a spring con nection between said jaws, at one end thereof, and means for pressing the clamping ends of the jaws together, disposed be tween said connection and the said clamping ends of said jaws, said connection consisting of a pair of bent or doubled portions spaced apart to provide a slot between them for said means.

3. A piano action including a flange comprising a pair of jaws, a supporting element clamped in place by said jaws, a spring con nection between said jaws, at one end thereof, means for pressing the clamping ends of the jaws together, disposed between said connectionand the said clamping ends of said jaws, said flange having the back thereof provided with one or more ribs, and a snpport formed with one or more grooves engaged by said rib or ribs, said rib and groove formation serving to prevent lateral displacement of said flange.

t. In combination with a hammer butt having a pivot, a one-piece removable piano action flange provided with jaws from which the action is detachable without removing the pivot from the hammer butt, or without removing the flange itself, and a device for holding the flange in position, from which the flange is separable without removal of said device, said jaws having separable ends between which the said pivot is clamped in position.

5. A piano action flange provided with a longitudinal slot, a pair of separable jaws, and a spring connection between said jaws, said connection containing said slot.

6. A piano action flange provided with one or more ribs on the back thereof, and means for supporting said flange permitting adjustment of the flange in the direction of said ribs.

7. A piano action flange having aws, and provided with a pair of loops forming a spring connection for opening said jaws, said loops spaced apart to form a slot between them.

8. A piano action flange rail, and a flange removably secured to said rail, adjustably held thereon, having jaws which open and close, and a screw for closing the jaws of the flange, and for holding it in place.

' 9. A piano action flange rail, and a plurality of flanges secured thereto, adjustable relative to each other, providing means for regulating the position of the action, each flange adapted to open and close, and means for closing said flanges, serving also to hold them in adjusted position.

'10. A piano action flange rail provided with transverse grooves, and flanges having means for engaging said grooves, thereby held against displacement longitudinally of the rail, but capable of adjustment transversely thereof.

Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, this 13th day of July, 1912.

GEORGE J. BEIER. l/Vitnesses:

R. SCHNEM, J. NORBY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

